S.S. Bhandari dead
New Delhi, June 22
Founder member of the Jan Sangh and senior BJP leader Sunder Singh Bhandari, who was the Governor of Bihar and Gujarat during the NDA regime, died here early this morning in sleep. In video (28k,
56k)

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with BJP President L.K. Advani at the BJP headquarters after paying homage to former Governor and BJP leader Sunder Singh Bhandari in New Delhi on Wednesday. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is also seen. — Tribune photo
by Mukesh Aggarwal

India, B’desh
agree on
anti-terror cooperation
New Delhi, June 22
India and Bangladesh today made a forward movement by agreeing to address each other's long-standing concerns, pledged not to allow their territory to be used for any activities inimical to each other’s interests and decided to expedite completion of the demarcation of the land boundary.

B’desh against border fencing
New Delhi, June 22
Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Hemayetuddin today maintained that his country was against any fencing on the Indo-Bangladesh border and said “all issues could be discussed in a friendly manner.”

Sethusamudram inauguration venue shifted
Fishermen threaten stir
Chennai, June 22
Fearing protests by fishermen in Tamil Nadu the venue for the inauguration of the Sethusamudram Shipping Sea Canal Project by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on July 2 has been shifted to Madurai instead of
Tuticorin.

Warrant against ShahabuddinSiwan, June 22Annoyed over the non-appearance of controversial RJD MP Mohammad Shahabuddin despite summons, Siwan District Magistrate Santosh Kumar Mal today issued a warrant of arrest against him for his alleged criminal activities. — PTI

Centre ready to hand over Godhra cases to CBI
New Delhi, June 22
The Centre today expressed its helplessness to entrust the investigations in various Gujarat riot cases to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) without the request from the state government or the direction of court, even as it asserted that from time to time it had been asking the Narendra Modi government to conduct investigation and trial in a fair and impartial manner.

Kulkarni’s paper sharpens Parivar debate
New Delhi, June 22
Bharatiya Janata Party national secretary and intellectual catalyst of both party President L.K. Advani and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajapyee Sudheendra Kulkarni’s recent paper has not only sharpened the ongoing ideolgoical debate within the Sangh Parivar but is bound to prove an important milestone in the party’s future political journey.

Meghalaya Govt in crisis over board’s bifurcation
Shillong, June 22
The proposed bifurcation of the Meghalaya Board of Secondary Education (MBOSE) by the Chief Minister, Mr D.D. Lapang, is fast snowballing into a major crisis as the rival Khasi and Garo student unions are demanding bifurcation of the state on this issue.

Rajasthan CM gives Rs 5 lakh to agitating farmers
Jaipur, June 22
Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has apparently pacified agitating farmers by announcing a compensation of Rs 5 lakh and employment to one person each of the affected family who were killed in the recent police firing.

SAD seeks anti-hate legislation
New Delhi, June 22
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today demanded for an anti-hate legislation to protect the secular fabric of the country.

NCW comes to rescue of NRI woman
New Delhi, June 22
The National Commission for Women (NCW) has written to the External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh to secure justice for a woman allegedly harassed by her husband in Bulgaria.

No foul play in Israeli woman’s death: police
New Delhi, June 22
The post-mortem of the body of an Israeli woman, which was found in a farmhouse in a posh colony in southwest district, suggests that she had died after falling from a height and the police believes there was no foul play.

Disinvestment of PSUs violation of
CMP: Left
New Delhi, June 22
Left parties are contemplating to boycott the UPA coordination committee meetings to protest against the Congress-led Central Government’s move to go ahead with the disinvestment of BHEL.

Scheme to eradicate manual scavenging
New Delhi, June 22
Keen to help states eradicate manual scavenging, the Centre today launched a scheme under which community toilets will be constructed in urban areas with 50 per cent grant from HUDCO.

Now, Prof lands in Jinnah soup
New Delhi, June 22
If you are a politician or a playwright in the world’s largest democracy, please don’t talk or write about the founder of the neighbouring country.

NCW seeks report on rape of 90-year-old
New Delhi, June 22
The National Commission for Women has sought a report from the Director-General of Police, Punjab, on the alleged rape of a 90-year-old woman at Dhilwan in Moga district.

Maoists kill cop on combing
operation
Hyderabad, June 22
A Reserve Sub-Inspector (RSI) was killed by Maoists near Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s farm-lands at Vempalle in Cuddapah district today.

New Delhi, June 22
Founder member of the Jan Sangh and senior BJP leader Sunder Singh Bhandari, who was the Governor of Bihar and Gujarat during the NDA regime, died here early this morning in sleep.

He was 84 and a bachelor.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee came to the BJP headquarters at 11 Ashok Road to pay homage to Mr Bhandari where his body was kept in state.

Dr Manmohan Singh, Mr Vajpayee and BJP President L.K. Advani paid tributes to the late leader.

Earlier, Mr Bhandari’s body was brought to the BJP headquarters from his residence in South Delhi to enable party workers to pay their respects.

Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat mourned the death of Mr Bhandari, describing him as a renowned nationalist leader and a symbol of simplicity and highest moral values.

Mr Bhandari died in sleep at his Kalkaji residence here early today. He had not been keeping well for some time.

A hardliner Bhandari, who was a strong contender for the post of BJP President after having served the party in different capacities including that of party Vice-President, was known for his frankness and had recently created a flutter in the Sangh Parivar by his attack on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and the Central leadership on the post-Godhra violence.

Mr Bhandari, who started as a ‘pracharak’ in the RSS, was one of those who founded the Jana Sangh and the BJP.

Mr Bhandari was among the NDA-appointed Governors sacked by the UPA government last year and since then he had been keeping a low profile without any party position.

New Delhi, June 22
India and Bangladesh today made a forward movement by agreeing to address each other's long-standing concerns, pledged not to allow their territory to be used for any activities inimical to each other’s interests and decided to expedite completion of the demarcation of the land boundary.

The two neighbours, estranged since the advent of Begum Khaleda Zia's government in Bangladesh in 2001, expressed satisfaction over the commencement of coordinated patrolling by the border forces of the two countries.

The Bangla side agreed to examine the Indian proposal for coordinated patrolling of the riverine boundary where feasible.

At the end of two-day Foreign Secretary-level annual consultations here today, India and Bangladesh decided to resume meetings of the Joint Boundary Working Groups (JBWG) in August to consider boundary-related issues.

Both sides agreed to address the issues related to exchange of enclaves and territories in adverse possessions as early as possible, a joint press statement issued at the end of the talks said.

The Indian side stressed the need for the early conduct of the joint census in the enclaves and adverse possessions.

Regarding illegal cross-border movement and activities, the Indian side reiterated its proposal for a high-level meeting on this issue.

A Home Secretary-level meeting is expected to be convened for this in near future.

An important thing that came out off these talks was that the Bangladeshi side evinced genuine interest in mending ties with India. This was made clear by the fact that the Bangladeshi side offered to start three more bus services in addition to the existing Kolkata-Dhaka and Agartala-Dhaka bus services.

Until now, India used to lobby for more bus services and Dhaka used to be reticent.

The turnaround in Dhaka's attitude may have come for two reasons. Begum Zia has to face polls by next year and she would not like to give the Opposition a handle to beat it with as far as Indo-Bangla relations are concerned.

Secondly, a Parliamentary Committee of Bangladesh has chastised its Foreign Office on worsening Indo-Bangla ties and asked the government to take corrective steps.

During the talks between the visiting Bangladeshi Foreign Secretary, Mr Hemayetuddin and his Indian counterpart, Mr Shyam Saran, the two sides reaffirmed their commitment not to allow their territory to be used for any activities inimical to each other’s interests.

The Indian side expressed its appreciation for recent actions taken by Bangladesh in the border areas. India stressed the importance of continued action, consular access and the need for regular exchange of information in this regard.

In this context, the Bangladesh side also stressed the need for action against Bangladeshi miscreants and providing consular access.

Bangladesh stressed on the need to conform to the 1975-border guidelines and avoid any action that may impact adversely the peace and stability in the border areas.

New Delhi, June 22
Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Hemayetuddin today maintained that his country was against any fencing on the Indo-Bangladesh border and said “all issues could be discussed in a friendly manner.”

“We have reiterated our stand that we are opposed to fencing of the Indo-Bangladesh border,” Mr Hemayetuddin told newspersons after a 30-minute meeting with Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil here at North Block.

He, however, insisted that an acceptable solution to all issues between the two countries could be evolved through the spirit of understanding.

“Further discussion in spirit of understanding to resolve all issues in a friendly manner will lead to a mutually acceptable solution,” said Mr Hemayetuddin, who is here on a two-day visit for Foreign Secretary-level talks.

To a specific question on border fencing, he said: “The border issue did figure during the meeting...We are sticking to our stated stand that no border fencing will take place on the Indo-Bangla border.”

Mr Hemayetuddin held consultations with his
Indian counterpart Shyam Saran yesterday during which the two sides decided to step
up border patrolling and finalise accords to bolster trade and economic ties.

Chennai, June 22
Fearing protests by fishermen in Tamil Nadu the venue for the inauguration of the Sethusamudram Shipping Sea Canal Project by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on July 2 has been shifted to Madurai instead of
Tuticorin.

The Union Minister for Port and Shipping, Mr T.R. Balu, today announced in Madurai, the Prime Minister would inaugurate the project there on July 2 evening in the presence of Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Earlier, there were plans to inaugurate the project at Tuticorin since it was under the Tuticorin Port Trust but fishermen in Ramanathapuram district are up in arms against Rs 2,427-crore project.

They had threatened to hold a black-flag demonstration during the Prime Minister’s visit to Tuticorin as they feared that dredging operations in the sea connecting the Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar would affect their livelihood and the marine ecosystem off the coast might be hit.

As a result, the ministry was forced to shift the venue 150 km away from the sea shore to avoid any unpleasant situation.

Mr Balu reiterated that fishermen would not be affected in any way by the project and there would not be any ban on fishing anywhere, as the dredging operation would be done by a ship at a particular point.

The officials would closely monitor the silt and toxicity and ensure that no harm was done to the environment.

The National Union of Fishermen
(NUF), affiliated to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), said today that it would hold a black-flag demonstration at Tuticorin on July 6 and block railway traffic on July 8, demanding scrapping of the
project.

NUF president Anton Gomes said here today, “We propose to organise various forms of agitations against the project on different dates. The agitations on July 6 and 8 are only part of these series of protests. We will continue our protests till the project is given up totally.”

He said, “We will not hesitate to protest even when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh comes for the inauguration. If the Union Government claims that there is no opposition to the project, then why is it holding the inaugural function at Madurai on July 2, instead of at
Tuticorin?”

He claimed that the project was economically unviable and environmentally unfriendly.

Though the Tamil Nadu Government was yet to grant a no objection certificate for the project, the Union Environment Ministry had given its approval for the project, without appropriate public consultations.

Mr Gomes said, “Normally, all forms of studies are done before sanction for a project is given, but it is the reverse in this case.”

He demanded that studies should have been conducted on the effect of the tsunami on the sea and sea beds and claimed that if the project was implemented, it would destroy 23 islands and coral reefs in the area.

New Delhi, June 22
The Centre today expressed its helplessness to entrust the investigations in various Gujarat riot cases to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) without the request from the state government or the direction of court, even as it asserted that from time to time it had been asking the Narendra Modi government to conduct investigation and trial in a fair and impartial manner.

“The government will entrust the investigations in these (Gujarat riots) cases to the CBI if the Gujarat Government makes a request in this regard or if the court so directs,” a statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs said here.

“The government will also support any plea for transfer of cases under trial to courts outside the state of Gujarat,” it said, adding that suitable instructions had been given to government counsel to inform the Supreme Court about the stand of the government along these lines as and when the cases came up for hearing before the apex court.

This statement assumes significance as at the UPA coordination committee meeting held on Sunday, the Home Ministry was said to have assured the Left parties that the Centre would send a “strong message” to the Gujarat Government.

The law clearly states that a CBI inquiry cannot be ordered into a case booked by the state police unless the government of that state requests for such an investigation.

Since the Gujarat Government is opposed to a CBI probe, the obvious purpose of the statement of the Ministry of Home Affairs appears to be to highlight its compulsions and intentions.

Various petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court in matters relating to the investigation and trial of offences committed during the Gujarat riots of 2002.

The Centre is a respondent in four cases. Earlier, in a writ petition No. 209/2003, known as the Best Bakery case, the Supreme Court had ordered the constitution of review committees by the state government of Gujarat to review about 2000 cases where summary reports were filed against first information reports lodged earlier.

New Delhi, June 22
Bharatiya Janata Party national secretary and intellectual catalyst of both party President L.K. Advani and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajapyee Sudheendra Kulkarni’s recent paper has not only sharpened the ongoing ideolgoical debate within the Sangh Parivar but is bound to prove an important milestone in the party’s future political journey.

While a majority of the BJP leaders, including former Finance Minister Jaswant Singh, said Mr Kulkarni’s views expressed in his paper had nothing to do with the party’s line and thinking, a debate has started
within the BJP and RSS outfits.

Mr Kulkarni, in his bold yet candid paper, said the BJP could not reach its political zenith by following the “Hindu only” line as it would not be able to capture majority and thus would have to make course corrections by addressing the minorities, particularly “Muslims”.

As soon as the paper came in the public realm, BJP leaders officially started distancing themselves from Mr Kulkarni’s paper.

While former BJP President and Human Resource Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi criticised Mr Kulkarni, stressing that no debate should try to damage the “fundamental tenets” of the BJP, Mr Jaswant Singh said “these are individual views of a person at a gathering that have nothing to do with the BJP”.

BJP general secretary Arun Jaitley said the views in Mr Kulkarni’s paper were “personal views of an individual at a closed-door meeting of free thinkers. They are certainly not the party’s views”.

Notwithstanding the official reaction of the BJP leaders on the contents of Mr Kulkarni’s paper, many in the party privately agree that the party’s full potential can never be achieved if it followed the RSS prescription of “Hindu alone” path.

A young leader, who was a minister in the Vajpayee Cabinet, said Mr Kulkarni has “hit the nail on its head by not only diagnosing the disease of the party but has also suggested the right medicine”.

These leaders admit that the BJP is under tremendous RSS pressure and barring two stalwarts — party President L.K. Advani and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee — none other has the guts to express a view on Mr Kulkarni’s paper openly.

In the coming days, a demand for the removal of Mr Kulkarni as party secretary and political secretary to Mr Advani would come from the RSS and the VHP, a senior leader said.

Shillong, June 22
The proposed bifurcation of the Meghalaya Board of Secondary Education (MBOSE) by the Chief Minister, Mr D.D. Lapang, is fast snowballing into a major crisis as the rival Khasi and Garo student unions are demanding bifurcation of the state on this issue.

In a latenight decision yesterday, Mr Lapang announced the appointment of one full fledged president and a secretary for the board to be posted in the Khasi-dominated state capital, Shillong.

The development follows the three-day bandh call by the Khasi Students Union (KSU) which began yesterday demanding the bifurcation of the board. The union raised the demand in view of the delay in distribution of mathematics paper during the examination and some other related administration problem involving the board.

The board which also looks after the higher secondary education in the
state, is located at Tura in the Garo hills.

The union’s demand was naturally opposed by the Garo
Students’ Union.

But the recent resignation of State Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Paul Lyndoh, who is the former president of Khasi students Union, prompted the Chief Minister to opt for a virtual bifurcation of the board. Mr Lapang himself represents the Khasis and it is believed that Lyndoh’s resignation was his handiwork.

But soon after the decision was taken, the Deputy Chief Minister, in charge of the Education Department, Mr Mukul Sangma, strongly objected to such a move. Mr Sangma, representing the Garo people of Meghalaya, said that technically the Chief Minister could not take such a decision in his absence.

Mr Sangma was in Guwahati to attend a meeting with the Assam government on border related issues, when the Chief Minister took the decision.

He has already threatened to resign from the Cabinet if the Chief minister did not reverse his decision.

The Garon Hills Citizens Forum, Federation of Achik Freedom(Garo), have already asked all ministers in the Lapang’s Cabinet representing Garos to resign in protest against the move. The Garo leaders, different NGOs, met at Mr Sangma’s residence yesterday to chalk out the strategies.

The Garo
students union has called for two-days bandh in the Garo hills beginning
today to decry the bifurcation of the board.

Tura district council member Josh Leslee said “We will be forced to demand a separate state for Garos if the Chief minister, representing the Khasis, did not alter the decision”.

Mr Sangma said the Chief Minister should recall the social and political fall-out of the bifurcation of the board by then Chief Minister Salseng Marak in 1997.

Meanwhile, the Khasi Students Union refused to withdraw the bandh call unless the Cabinet endorsed the decision to bifurcate the board.

The development has landed the Congress-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) into a deep crisis as the two leading tribal communities, the Khasi and Garos, are divided on this issue thus threatening the stability of the
government.

The Chief Minister is finding it difficult to balance the game as the issue threatens divide the state.

Jaipur, June 22
Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has apparently pacified agitating farmers by announcing a compensation of Rs 5 lakh and employment to one person each of the affected family who were killed in the recent police firing. At least five persons had died at Suhela village in Tonk district during the police firing. However, the political fallout of the tragic incident has not yet subsided as was evident from people's response to yesterday's rallies and protest demonstrations by the Congress throughout the state.

The subsequent visit of Ms Sonia Gandhi to the three villages of Tonk district tomorrow may further flare up the subdued anger of agitators.

Meanwhile, Ms Raje has decided to appease her 12 disgruntled ministers of state, who have remained bereft of power for the past one-and-a-half year. These ministers have been expressing their anguish from time to time to party bosses.

The Minister of State for Medical and Health, Mr Bhawani Joshi, was so upset that at a public function recently, he openly called himself a disabled minister with no work. He said he was ignored to such an extent that his name was not even printed on official invitation cards.

Mr Kalraj Mishra, BJP Vice-President and in charge of Rajasthan, who held a series of meetings with senior leaders of the state unit of the party and the RSS yesterday was also apprised of the situation. Although details of the deliberations have not been made public, sources said concern was expressed during discussions with Mr Mishra on malfunctioning of the government and the administration.

It was one day before the arrival of Mr Mishra that Ms Raje, as part of her political manager, had invited the ministers of state and listened to their grievances. Those who met the Chief Minister included Minister of State for Home Affairs, Mr Amraram; the Minister of State for Rural Development, Mr Babulal Varma, and other counterparts. The source said, almost all ministers of state complained about not been given any authority under the rules of business and also took exception to the misbehaviour of senior bureaucrats.

Having taken detailed feedback from the members of her council of ministers, Ms Raje is reported to have assured them that shortly a rational distribution of portfolios would be done and they would be invested with appropriate powers.

New Delhi, June 22
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today demanded for an anti-hate legislation to protect the secular fabric of the country.

“Countries like the US and the UK have enacted such legislation following the 9/11 attack on the WTC. However, the need for such a legislation is required most in our country,” said Onkar Singh Thapar, SAD general secretary.

He said, “Had such a legislation been in place in our country, Godhra, Operation Bluestar, 1984 anti-Sikh riots, would not have taken place and those who had spread hatred among the members of the community would have been punished.”

Mr Thapar said the Sikhs in the US demanded such a legislation after the killing of Balbir Singh Sodhi, a petrol station owner of Arizona’s Phonix after the 9/11 attack.

However, the US authorities claimed that such a legislation already existed in the form of Civil Rights Act, 1964. The British Parliament, following the pressure exerted by the Sikh community, early this month passed the Racial and Religious Hatred Bill.

New Delhi, June 22
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has promised to expedite the consideration of the Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament.

Giving this assurance to a delegation led by the Chairperson of Central Social Welfare Board, Ms Rajani Patil, here yesterday, Dr Manmohan Singh said the Bill was under active discussion and was also one of the highest priorities of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi had for the empowerment of women.

He assured the delegation that the board would get all support from the government for the expansion of its programmes, adding that re-evaluation of programmes should be done as several earlier ones needed to be revamped to cater to the changing needs of society, a press note issued by the board stated.

New Delhi, June 22
The National Commission for Women (NCW) has written to the External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh to secure justice for a woman allegedly harassed by her husband in Bulgaria.

The 35-year-old woman, a part-time lecturer in the Department of Indology at the University of Sofia, Bulgaria, has also met the Minister for Overseas Affairs Jagdish Tytler for justice.

The woman told the Commission that she met the Indian businessman in Bulgaria. Their marriage was solemnised in Ghaziabad in 1991 and they have an 11-year-old daughter.

In a letter to Natwar Singh, the NCW Chairperson, Girija Vyas, has said the woman’s husband was allegedly harassing her for dowry in India and Bulgaria and mentally torturing her by having an illicit relationship with a Bulgarian woman.

“She has also expressed apprehension regarding her security and safety because of threats received from her husband. I would request you to direct the Indian Embassy in Sofia to liaise with local police authorities for providing protection to her and securing justice for her,” Ms Vyas has said in the letter.

Sources in the Commission told TNS that they had written to the Superintendent of Police, Ghaziabad, to inquire the matter and take action.

Sources said, in her complaint to the
Commission, the woman has alleged that her in-laws never accepted her and harassed her on one pretext or the other. Her in-laws made demands of cash and gold jewellery from her parents.

Sources said in cases of marital discord between Non-Resident Indians, police gives the convenient excuse that the cause of action did not arise there.

Lucknow, June 22
Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav today suspended five senior power corporation officials after a review meeting of the power scenario.

Announcing this, Chief Secretary Neera Yadav said the Chief Minister had asked senior power officials to immediately streamline the power situation by checking power theft and removing connections of defaulters.

Long power cuts forced people in various cities to take to the streets. In Kanpur angry crowds yesterday locked out the staff of a power station to lodge their protest against long power cuts.

New Delhi, June 22
The post-mortem of the body of an Israeli woman, which was found in a farmhouse in a posh colony in southwest district, suggests that she had died after falling from a height and the police believes there was no foul play.

The body of Ali Shaked (24), with head injuries, was found yesterday afternoon at the farmhouse in Vasant Kunj in southwest Delhi belonging to businessman Sudershan Kohli. The police said Sudershan was a builder.

The police had informed the Israeli Embassy and the post-mortem was conducted today after obtaining permission from the Israeli Embassy.

“The report suggests that she died due to a fall from a height. There were multiple fractures in the body and internal injuries,” a senior police official said.

He said foul play appeared unlikely in the case. Shaked, who was on vacation in India for the past four months, had met Kohli’s son Ankush in Almora in Uttaranchal about 10 days back.

They had befriended each other and came back together to Delhi. She was staying in the guesthouse for the past one week. Several members of Kohli’s family, including Ankush, and persons working in the house had been questioned by the police in this regard.

New Delhi, June 22
Left parties are contemplating to boycott the UPA coordination committee meetings to protest against the Congress-led Central Government’s move to go ahead with the disinvestment of BHEL.

CPM politburo member S. Ramachandran Pillai said, “This is a violation of the CMP, on whose basis the Left parties extended their support.”

“We are not satisfied with the government’s decision on disinvestment of profit-making PSUs and the new interpretation CMP is wrong,” he added.

He indicated to The Tribune that the Left parties were planning to send out a strong political signal to the government for violating the agreed principle in implementing the CMP.

Boycott of the Left-UPA Coordination Committee meeting would send a strong political message to the Congress-led coalition to mend its ways, party sources said.

Indications are that the four Left parties would meet later this week to chalk out their programme in dealing with the situation.

The Left parties are unhappy with the way government is consulting with them. “We are only being consulted on those issues where they require our support to pass the legislation in Parliament and on those issues where the Cabinet can take the decision on its own, the views of the Left are being ignored,” he said.

The recent decision of the Cabinet on oil price hike, despite opposition by the Left parties has resulted in the call of countrywide protest on June 28.

Though Congress leaders attribute the upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal and Kerala to the Left’s aggressive position, the Communists do not agree.

“There is no need for us to worry about the state elections. In both states we are in a comfortable position,” Mr Pillai said.

New Delhi, June 22
Keen to help states eradicate manual scavenging, the Centre today launched a scheme under which community toilets will be constructed in urban areas with 50 per cent grant from HUDCO.

Minister for Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja said today the Community Toilets and Sanitation Programme (CTSP) would be implemented by HUDCO which would give a grant of up to Rs 50 lakh to each district in the country.

She said the remaining 50 per cent money under the programme would be contributed by the state agencies. The money can also come from MPLAD funds, MLA funds and contribution by urban local bodies. She said CTSP was an improvement on integrated low cost sanitation (ICLS) scheme as 50 per cent component would come in the form of grant and not loan. The minister said efforts were also being made to streamline implementation of ICLS.

Terming manual scavenging as a blot on humanity, Ms Selja said the Planning Commission had set a target of its eradication by 2007.